Contents
There are two regions in Ukraine where the level of development of viticulture is quite high – Transcarpathia and the southern regions with Crimea. In the same regions, winemaking is also developed, vintage white and red wines are produced. Therefore, it is not surprising that more and more new varieties are being bred in Ukraine, and breeders are guided not only by the wine industry, but also work on breeding table grape varieties. And among the results of their work there are those that are worthy of praise. For example, the Libya grape variety, which you will learn in detail from this article, which will describe the characteristics of the Libya grape, weaknesses and strengths.
Variety description
Livia grapes are a hybrid of two table forms Flamingo and Arcadia, therefore they are also table grapes. Superearly grade, the ripening period makes only 105-115 days. The first harvest can be harvested in the third year. Bushes of Libya are vigorous, tall, have a powerful trunk. Young shoots are light brown. The flower is bisexual, well-developed inflorescences, dense five-lobed leaves.
Clusters are medium-loose, cylindrical in shape, but often branched, they can reach more than 25 centimeters in length. The shape of the berries is not always the same – most of them are oval or egg-shaped, sometimes rounded (their size is 25-28 mm long and 18-20 mm wide, they weigh 12-15 g). The color of Libya’s berries is pale pink, some are darker, they contain 1-3 seeds.
It is worth noting the very juicy pulp with a thin skin that is not felt at all when eating. Like most table varieties, the fruits of Livia are endowed with a light aroma of nutmeg. Sufficiently high characteristics of sugar content and acidity – 20-25% and 6-9 hl, respectively.
Advantages and disadvantages
In addition to the advantages already noted above (early ripening, beautiful clusters, tasty berries), Libya grapes also have others. For example, good transportability, relatively high marketability of bunches (fruits are able to lie in storage for a little over a month, while the shape, taste, and aroma are not lost). But the main advantages of Libya grapes are stability and high yields, in this regard, it will give odds to some of the more popular varieties.
But, as always, it is not without drawbacks. Often gardeners complain about insufficient staining in the color stated in the description. Sometimes the not very good resistance of Libya to diseases, in particular to the most common ones – mildew and oidium, causes trouble. But this problem can be solved with the help of preventive treatments with fungicides. The disadvantages include the insufficient frost resistance of the variety (only 20-21 degrees), because if you consider that Ukrainian breeders worked on its breeding, then one could expect that the grapes would endure lower temperatures.
Features of trimming
One of the obligatory and most important agricultural practices in the cultivation of grapes is pruning, because the further development of the culture depends on it. It should be started in the spring, as soon as the frosts are over. For the Livia variety, a short pruning of 2-6 buds is usually done, this method helps to significantly increase the yield, in rare cases 7-10 are left. If you want large clusters to form, leave no more than 2 ovaries. As for breaking off the leaves at the end of fruiting, it is recommended to leave all the leaves. There are no restrictions on the formation of the bush. In addition to pruning, attention should also be paid to other aspects of plant care – watering, fertilizing, etc.
Libya grapes have recently been included in the State Sort Register of Ukraine, in addition to the southern regions of the country, they are increasingly being grown in other territories. It is well suited for growing in a summer cottage.
Video “Characteristics of Libya”
This video reviews the main agrotechnical and taste characteristics of the Livia grape variety, as well as a demonstration of the harvest on the bush.
